BUTUAN DOCTORS’ COLLEGE

Butuan City

Joanah Alexa Pojadas Piedad

Name: _______________________________ Remarks: _________
Program, level and section: _______________
BSMT 1-B

Laboratory Worksheet No. 3

EPITHELIAL TISSUE

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the Laboratory Worksheet, the students shall be able to:
1. Identify the epithelial tissues based on the number of cellular layers and the
shape of the component cells;
2. Appreciate the characteristics of the epithelial tissues based on the images
shown; and
3. Describe the glandular epithelium as a specialized epithelium.

INTRODUCTION:

Epithelial tissues are made up cells that closely packed together with scanty
intracellular substances or matrix between cells. They occur is sheets and composed of
single or several layers of epithelial cells. The epithelial tissues are non-vascularized
therefore nourished by the lymph and by diffusion of nutrients from the underlying
connective tissue. They are innervated or highly supplied with nerves

Functionally, they form the outer protecting surface of the body and all the glands;
furnish important parts of the sense organs; line the walls of internal surfaces and cavities;
participate in the metabolism of the body through absorption of substances from the
outside; and also for excretion; secretion and filtration.

The epithelial tissues are classified based on the number of cellular layers and on
the shape of the component epithelial cells. Based on the number of cellular layers, the
epithelial tissues are either simple (having a single layer of cells) or stratified (having
several layers of cells).Based on the shape of the component cells, the epithelial tissues
are squamous epithelium (having flat or spindle shape cells), cuboidal epithelium (having
cube-like cells) and columnar epithelium (having rectangular shape cells).

Simple squamous epithelium is composed of a single layer of very flat cells; the
nucleus in each individual cell is dark and centrally located. Found in the stratum corneum
of the skin; alveolar sacs of lungs; Bowman’s capsule of a nephron

Simple columnar epithelium has a tube of epithelial cells is tall and slender. The
nucleus of every cell is oval and located near the base. Found in the inner lining of the
intestine.

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 Simple Cuboidal Epithelium has a squarish or cube shaped cells, some are
triangular. The nucleus of each is spherical or oval and large. The cytoplasm is slightly
glandular. Found lining the kidney tubules

Stratified Squamous Epithelium has several layers of epithelial cells with

squamous shaped cells in the outermost layer while the inner layers are made up of
different shapes of cells. Close to the basement membrane are cuboidal or columnar
shaped cells. This is the most common stratified epithelium. Found in the epithelial
lining of the human skin.

Stratified columnar epithelium has columnar cells in its superficial layer and
polyhedral cells in the basal layer. Found in lining the cavernous urethra, anal mucous
membrane; pharynx.

Stratified columnar ciliated epithelium has columnar cells in its superficial layer and
polyhedral cells in the basal layer but with cilia at the surface of superficial cells. Found
in the nasal surface of soft palate; larynx.

Stratified cuboidal epithelium is a type of epithelial tissue found mainly in glands,

which specialize in selective absorption and secretion by the gland into blood or lymph
vessels. It has several layers of cells with cube-like cells in its superficial surface. The
layers of squamous epithelial cell beneath the cuboidal cells replace damaged cells as
needed to maintain the epithelial lining. Found in sweat gland, parotid glands, mammary
glands

Glandular epithelium is a specialized epithelium for secretion hence named as

gland. A gland consists of one or more cells that make and secrete a particular product
called a secretion. Secretion is an active process in the glandular cells obtain the needed
materials from the blood and use them to make their secretion, which they then discharge.

On the basis of the presence or absence of ducts, gland are either endocrine or
exocrine glands .Endocrine glands are ductless glands or glands without connection with
the surface. Their secretions are called hormones which diffuse directly into the blood
vessels that weave through the glands and then into the blood stream. Examples are
thyroid glands, adrenal glands, pituitary gland.

Exocrine glands are duct glands or glands having excretory passageway of the
secretions transporting the secretions to the body cavities or the body surface. These
have two parts: a. the secretory portion which consists of secreting cells producing the
secretions; b. the excretory passageway of the secretions. Examples are sweat glands;
oil glands; mammary glands

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 Exocrine glands are further classified according to the mechanisms the secretions
are released or the functional basis of classification:

1. Merocrine gland are glands whose secretions exit the cell via exocytosis. In this
method of secretion, there is no cell damage. An example of merocrine secretion is the
eccrine sweat glands are simple coiled tubular glands present throughout the body but
most numerous in the soles of the feet.

2. Apocrine glands are glands that form buds of the membrane which break off into
the duct, losing part of the cellular membrane in the process. A well-known apocrine gland
is the breastmilk-producing mammary gland.

3. Holocrine glands are glands whose cellular membrane ruptures to release its
product into the duct. The entire secreting cells are dislodged to become a part of
secretion. Sebaceous glands are a representation of holocrine secretion.

Structurally the exocrine glands are also classified into 1. unicellular glands – are
one-celled glands and 2. multicellular glands are many-celled glands.

PROCEDURE: Refer to any Human Anatomy and Physiology book or surf from the
Internet and provide the following questions with satisfactory answers.

a. Study and identify the epithelial tissue

1. shown.
This is a stratified squamous epithelium
____________________________________
____________________________________
b. Provide an organ lined with this type of
epithelial tissue. _______________________
The human skin

c. Describe a possible function of the

The picture shown is
epithelial tissue shown. _________________
durable and its main function is for protecting..
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

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2. a. Study and identify the epithelial
tissue shown.
This is a simple columnar epithelium
_______________________________

b. Describe the shape and location of

The cells are tall and slender
the nucleus. ____________________
and its nucleus is oval in shape located near
_______________________________
the base.
_______________________________

c. Name an organ lined with this type

Inner lining of the intes-
of epithelial tissue. __________________
__________________________________
tine.

3. Distinguish an endocrine gland from an exocrine gland. Give two examples of

each.
These do not have ducts and do not carry their products to the
a. Endocrine glands: _________________________________________
surface, example of this are thyroid glands and adrenal glands.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
These have ducts and excretory passageway of the secretions trans-
b. Exocrine glands: __________________________________________
porting the secretions to the body surfaces, examples of this are sweat glands and mammary
________________________________________________________
glands.
________________________________________________________

4.
a. Study and identify the type of epithelial
tissue shown.
This is a simple cubodial epithelium.
_________________________________
b. Describe the shape and the
arrangement of the component epithelial
This has a squarish or cube shaped cells;
cells. ____________________________
some are triangular. The nucleus is spherical or
_________________________________
oval and large. And the cytoplasm is slightly gland-
_________________________________
ular.
_________________________________
c. Name one body structure lined with this
type of epithelial tissue.
Found in the lining of the kidney tubules.
_________________________________
_________________________________

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5. Classify the following exocrine glands, based on the mechanisms the
secretions are released. Provide also the name of the secretions.

Mechanisms the
Exocrine glands secretions are Name of the secretion
released
a. salivary glands Merocrine glands Saliva
b. ceruminous glands Aprocine glands Cerumen (ear wax)
c. mammary glands Aprocine glands Milk
d. sebaceous glands Holocrine glands Sebum
e. lacrimal glands Merocrine glands Tears

6.
a. Study and identify the epithelial
tissue shown.
Stratified columnar ciliated epithelium
_____________________________

b. Describe the shape of the cells in

Arranged in two
the superficial layer. ____________
or more layers and is columnar
_____________________________ in shape.

c. Structurally and functionally,

describe the Goblet cells. ________These are
unicellular exocrine glands;
_____________________________so named for
their shape, these glands
_____________________________secrete mucus and
create a protective mucus layer.
_____________________________

7. Provide the following endocrine glands with at least one hormone they
secreted by filling out the table.
Endocrine glands Hormones
a. testes Testosterone

b. pancreas Insulin and glucagon

c. ovaries Oestrogen and progesterone

d. adrenal glands Androgens, estrogens, aldosterone, cortisol, adrenaline

e. pituitary gland ACTH, FSH, LH, GH, PRL, TSH, Oxytocin, and ADH

f. thyroid gland Triiodothyronine (T3) anf thyroxine (T4)

g. thymus Thymosin

END

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